Table of Content

Sr. Topic Pg.

No. No.
1. Introduction to Reading Comprehension 1
1.1 Structure of Reading Comprehension
1.2 Overview of RC Question Types
2-6
1.3 What is measured?
1.4 What skills are required?
1.5 Sample RC passage- Online Screen
2. Tips to overcome challenges faced
7
while attempting RC
2.1 Some of the challenges faced
3. Reading Comprehension Passage Types 13
3.1 Different Passage Types
3.2 Type of articles to read on various
subject areas 13-
3.3 Approach to Reading 26
Comprehension
3.4 How should I prepare?
4. SPEED READING TECHNIQUE 27
5. Technique to Improve Comprehension 31
5.1 Practice Exercise 34
 READING COMPREHENSION - I
1. INTRODUCTION TO READING COMPREHENSION
Introduction
Within the Verbal section, reading comprehension is a key
area. It tests the language skills of the candidates and
topics are from diverse areas with varying levels of
difficulty.
Reading comprehension is the act of understanding what
you are reading.
Comprehension is the understanding and interpretation of
what is read. To be able to accurately understand written
material, you need to:
(1) decode what they read,
(2) make connections between what you read.
There are two elements that make up the process of
reading comprehension:
Vocabulary knowledge and Text Comprehension.
In order to understand a text the reader must be able to
comprehend the vocabulary used in the piece of writing. If
the individual words don’t make the sense then the overall
story will not either.
In addition to being able to understand each distinct word
in a text, the child also has to be able to put them together

1
to develop an overall conception of what it is trying to say.
This is text comprehension.
Importance of Reading Comprehension:
1. To crack questions on Reading Comprehension
2. To also understand the text and structure for
questions based on Sentence Rearrangement and
Critical Reasoning etc.
3. To be able to understand and make meaning of the
text provided to you in your day to day life.
This book will equip you on basics of how to read, where
to read from and other tips to improve your
comprehension.
1.1 Structure of Reading Comprehension
1. Each entrance test has a different set of Reading
Comprehension asked.
2. The number of passages, number of questions
asked, difficulty level etc would vary respectively
with each different TEST Pattern
3. You are requested to refer the exam pattern for the
test which you intend to take.
4. Usually, number of passages vary from 1- 5

2
 5. These passages could be short or long (200 - 500
words). Occasionally, you see a poem given for
reading comprehension.
6. Each RC passage may have approximately 3- 5
questions. Questions would be followed by 4 or 5
options.
7. Content wise the passages would be from diverse
fields such as social science, natural science,
economics, politics, technology etc. You are not
expected to have any prior knowledge of the various
topics. However, having some familiarity with
various topics enhances your comprehension.
Note: Please note that the number of passages, questions
and weightage vary from exam to exam and also each year
on year.
1.2 Overview of RC Question Types
Following are generally the question types asked. We
shall discuss this in the next section.
1 Main Idea What is main idea/central idea/primary
Questions idea of the passage?
2 Primary Purpose What is the role of the second
Questions paragraph?

What is the purpose of ……Line?

3 Inference Based What can be inferred from the
Questions passage?

3
 Which of the following can be deduced
from the passage?
4 Supporting Why did the author mention such-and-
ideas/details such?
What facts are explicitly stated in the
passage?
Which of the following are true as per
the passage?
5 Vocabulary What is the meaning of this word as
Based Questions used in the passage?
What does this phrase mean?
What figure of speech is used here?
6 Author’s Tone What is the tone of the Author?
7 Critical Which of the following
Reasoning weaken/strengthen author’s argument?
Based Which of the following supports
author’s Logic?
1.3 What is measured?
a. Your ability to understand written English- You will
be asked overall understanding of the passage.
b. Your ability to relate logical relationship between
facts and concepts- For example you may be asked
to evaluate the relevance of certain supporting idea
or example within a passage.
c. Your Ability to draw inferences- It checks how well
you can draw conclusions from the information
given in the passage.

4
 d. Vocabulary- Sometimes you may be asked meaning
of a word or phrases.
There are two myths about Reading Comprehension:
1. The Reading comprehension is a test of speed
reading
This is not true. Students, who think this is a true,
read the passage at a lightning pace and lose on
comprehending the passage and are forced to re-
read the passage.
2. Reading Comprehension tests your ability to
memories minute details in the passage.
This is not true. Students who believe this make the
mistake of making a note of minute details and too
many facts. This not only wastes your time but also
prevents you from looking at the bigger picture of the
passage.
1.4 What skills are required?
 Regular reading habit
 Exposure to diverse topics
 Remaining focussed while reading
 Engaging with the passage
 Comprehension skills
 Comfortable reading speed so as not to lose focus
of comprehension

5
1.5 Sample RC passage- Online Screen

If the test is on the computer, a passage appears on the

left hand side of the screen and a related question
appears on the right hand side of the screen. If the
passage is longer than the screen, there will be a scroll
bar that will allow you to scroll up and down the text.

6
2. TIPS TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES FACED WHILE
ATTEMPTING RC
In Reading comprehension the topics are from diverse
field and also the difficulty level of the passage varies.
Above all, there is a constant pressure of time and
accuracy to crack this section.
Do not be scared to attempt Reading Comprehension
passages. In this section, we will discuss in general the
common doubts raised while preparing for Reading
Comprehension section and proposed suggestions.
Note: Each individual has his own style, speed,
comprehension levels and accuracy, you need to analyse
what works best for you. For this you need to practise.
Give sufficient mock tests under simulated setting and
analyse your performance. Then change your strategy to
what suits or works the best for you.
2.1 Some of the challenges faced
a. I get distracted while reading
Suggestion:
Practise reading every day. Set a target and maintain a
disciplined routine for reading. First begin with whatever
interests you. It could be newspaper articles, blogs etc.
But get in the habit of reading every day. Slowly focus on
comprehension while reading. Write the summary in 1- 2
lines after you read each paragraph. Keep a record of your

7
reading style. Gradually move to diverse topics and read
minimum 2- 3 RC passages every day.
Making notes or summarising in the margin can be very
helpful in creating a mind map of the structure – as you
read along. Try it out and experience the benefits.
b. I get lost in the vocabulary and complex sentences
Suggestion:
When you solve RC passages in the exam make sure that
vocabulary constraints do not come in the way of the
comprehending the passage. Though it is likely that some
of the words in the passage are unfamiliar to you, try to
guess the meaning of those unfamiliar words from the
context in which they are used.
Focus on the key idea/ main idea of each paragraph
rather than focussing on individual words.
An efficient reader would focus on the parts of the
passage that are clearly understood, and then make
educated guesses about the parts that are too complex to
immediately understand. Make sure that the passage is
thus adequately understood.
c. I am comfortable reading only familiar topics
Suggestion:
First of all don’t be scared of unfamiliar areas. You need
to keep your reading habit consistent. Unfamiliar ideas or

8
subject matter would not pose a big problem if you have
consistent reading habit. Read diverse subjects, although
it is not necessary to master every subject under the sun.
Try to get the gist of the passage. Do not focus on speed
on such topics to begin with. Your aim is to get familiarity
on the diverse topics.
d. I go to previous lines again and again because I
lose track of what I read
Suggestion:
Use the note-making technique. Some people trace their
way through the passage using their finger or a pencil.
Using a pacer helps avoid regression, enhances your
focus on the text, and your concentration. It slows you
down slightly, but it ensures that no word or idea is
missed. Experiment and see if it is worth it. If you find it a
waste of time, do without it.
e. I understand only when I read aloud
Suggestion:
In the exam hall you can’t read aloud.
Sub vocalisation i.e. reading aloud reduces your reading
speed. Your brain can process much faster than what
your tongue can speak. Consciously practise without
reading aloud. Initially your speed or comprehension may
not be great, but with practise and note making technique,
it shall improve.

9
f. I understand only when I underline
Suggestion:
On the computer based test, you cannot underline. You
can just move your pen/finger across the lines. Substitute
underlining by writing the key idea in the margin or on the
piece of paper.
g. I get confused while marking the answers
Suggestion:
First understand the type of question asked and the
technique to answer those questions.
For example, a question may ask: which of the following
options makes the author’s conclusion supportable?
Comprehension of this question would mean that you first
define the author’s conclusion in the passage. In this
case, many of us tend to spend more time evaluating the
options without understanding the conclusion or the main
idea of the passage. We immediately move to options.
As a result, we are confused by the options. Whenever
you are confused by the options, you need to check
whether it is your inadequate comprehension of either the
passage or the question that is creating the confusion.

10
h. Should I read the questions first or the passage?
Suggestion:
You can either read the entire passage and then answer
the questions referring back to the passage to ensure
accuracy OR skim through the entire passage; skim
through the questions; read the entire passage, and then
answer the questions. You need to practise and decide on
your method which suits you.
i. How should I choose a passage to attempt?
Suggestion:
If the paper allows you sufficient choice among passages,
choose the passages wisely. Skim through the entire
passage as quickly as you can. Judge whether you would
like to continue studying this passage. If so, short list it as
a likely passage to attempt. Do the same with the other
passages. Remember to work fast in this process. At the
end you may have short listed a couple of passages or
more that you would be comfortable reading. After that
apply the methodology most comfortable to you and work
with those passages.
The selection of passages is completely based on the
comfort that you experience with the passage. If you find
a particular passage easy, you will be able to attempt the
questions based on that passage comfortably. But if you
find that a passage is easy to read and understand, you

11
will be able to work with even the most difficult question
set on it. Hence choose the passages that you are most
comfortable reading.
If the paper, however, does not offer you the freedom to
choose, you must try to do your best even in an
uncomfortable passage by making a habit of reading
diverse topics.
j. How many questions should I attempt in RC?
Suggestion:
Your focus should be on improving the accuracy in RC. So
attempt a limited number of questions and ensure
accuracy .However, if your overall attempts are far below
the target you have set, it is necessary to attempt
questions to meet that target. At all times, in a
competitive exam with negative marking, your attempt
should be to maximise your marks not merely by
attempting the maximum number of questions possible,
but also by minimising the negative.
Analyse your performance during mock tests to decide
the number of attempts to maximize your score. Since
different individuals have different accuracy, the number
of attempts and speed, you need to analyse on your
individual performance and your goal.

12
3. READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE TYPES
Passages given in the Reading Comprehension sections
are based on diverse field of studies or topic.
Because the Reading Comprehension section of the exam
includes passages from several different content areas,
you may be generally familiar with some of the material;
however, no specific knowledge of the material is
required.
The best way to build awareness is through consistent
reading on diverse subjects.
3.1 Different Passage Types
The passages presented in the test are on diverse topics.
You are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the
various topics. However, having some familiarity with
various topics enhances your comprehension.
It is very important for you to acquaint yourself with
different subject areas. Identifying the subject area and
type of passage will help you to devise your reading
comprehension strategy accordingly.
Below is the list of various subjects/disciplines the
passage may appear in the actual test.

13
1 Natural Biology, Physics, Evolution, Classification of
Science living beings, etc.
2 Physical Health care, Medical research, Bio Chemistry,
Science Astronomy, Cosmology, Technology
3 Social History, Politics, Sociology, etc.
Science
4 Law Legal History, International Law, Human
rights, Legal Theory etc.
5 Humanities Classic and Contemporary Art, Literature,
Films, Music, philosophy, history,
archaeology, anthropology, human
geography, law, politics, religion, and art
6 Business Business and Economics
A. Social Science Passages
These passages would be from areas such as history,
politics, and society. These passages are enjoyable to
read and are not too dense.
Generally, a lot of inferential questions are based on these
passages, which check your reading ability as well as how
closely you have followed the passage.

14
Sample Passage:
Poor people rarely have insurance to cover loss of
property due to natural calamines i.e. drought, floods,
super cyclones etc. The poor communities are already
struggling to cope with the existing challenges of poverty
and climate variability and climate change could push
many beyond their ability to cope or even survive.
Key words: Poor people, drought, poverty etc.
B. Business & Economics Passages
These passages are based on important Economic
theories and business events. It is important for you to
get acquainted with the language of business and
economics, understanding the terminology from this field
.Work on your business knowledge and vocabulary to be
comfortable with these passages.

15
Sample Passage:
More recent work suggests that inequality could lead to
economic or financial instability. The governor of the
Reserve Bank of India argued that governments often
respond to inequality by easing the flow of credit to
poorer households, however, American households
borrowed heavily prior to the crisis to prop up their
consumption. But for this rise in household debt,
consumption would have stagnated as a result of poor
wage growth. Crafting a response to rising inequality is
therefore tricky, he says. Some of the negative impact of
inequality on growth can be blamed on poor government
policies in highly unequal countries.

Key words: economic, Reserve Bank of India,

consumption etc.
C. Science Passages
These passages deal with areas such as biology,
chemistry, medicine, technology and mathematics. These
passages present a lot of facts, and since their subject
matter is new to you, you might be bored by them. Do not
get confused by the technical jargon and focus on the
main ideas that are presented by the author of the
passage.

16
Sample Passage:
Not all of those fossils aged well. In one case, some
smashed disarticulated skeletons of a strange reptile
were found in Italy and the Netherlands. These were
classified 14 years ago as a particular species of reptile—
Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi—but because the fossils were
in such poor shape, researchers still weren’t 100 percent
sure what it looked like in its day. During an excavation at
an altitude of 9,000 feet in Duncanfurgga, Switzerland,
researchers found an impeccably preserved fossil
of Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi mixed in with fish and
marine reptile remains. When it was first uncovered 15
years ago, encased in rock, it was initially classified as a
boring, run-of-the-mill fish. But after the fossil was
carefully prepared and removed from some of its
protective stone casing, paleontologists swiftly realized it
wasn’t a fish at all. Now, they can finally put a face to the
name.

Key words: fossils, skeletons, reptile, paleontologists etc.

D. Liberal Arts Passages
These passages are related to philosophy, psychology.
Such as language, philosophy, literature, abstract science)
intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to
develop general intellectual capacities (such as reason
and judgment) as opposed to professional or vocational

17
skills. Generally, these passages are very dense and
require immense focus for understanding them. Previous
acquaintance with similar material will go a long way in
disarming your resistance to this particular passage type.
Generally, the questions based on these passages are
focused on the overall picture, and check your general
understanding of the concepts presented.
Sample Passage:
“What does it feel like when you love something?” It’s
intensely moving when his interviewees offer an unfiltered
version of motherhood and the tangle of love that comes
with it. “I’m the only thing keeping this guy alive. It’s all on
me. Every call I make could be a life-and-death call,” says
one mother. “Despite being profoundly happy … I find
myself in mourning for my old life. It’s almost this grief
that I’ve lost somebody and I think that somebody is
myself.”

There’s a contrast with mothers learning to let go of their

teenagers, but a feeling that the primal feelings of love
are the same. “I find myself alone a lot,” says a mum of
teenagers, her voice wavering. “Kids, growing up, really
think they know their parents, but they don’t know them as
people. They know them as parents,” says another.
Key words: tangle of love, mothers feeling to let go
teenagers etc.

18
E. Politics & Current Affairs
The passages from this area are based on current news,
and these passages are by far the easiest to read. Since
we are familiar with the topics, it becomes easy for us to
understand what is happening and to follow the author of
the passage. Though these passages are simple on most
occasions, they can pose some tricky inferential
questions at times. From the above analysis, you can
identify the areas you are comfortable with and the ones
that require work. The above classification gives you the
power to understand your passage preference and the
areas which require work from your side.
Sample Passage:
Speaking after a day of bilateral discussions at
the G20 summit in Hamburg, the prime minister said the
UK had led on bolstering the global fight against terror
and modern slavery as well as pushing for the
implementation of the Paris agreement and boosting
international trade.

On terrorism, Theresa May repeated past calls for world

leaders to do more to disrupt international finance
streams for terror groups and to help stop foreign fighters
returning to the west from conflicts in Syria, Iraq and
elsewhere. She also said the G20 agreed to do more to
combat domestic violent extremism and welcomed

19
moves from technology companies to address the online
spread of extremist content.
Key words: G20 summit, global fight, on terrorism etc.
3.2 Type of articles to read on various subject areas
Below is the tentative list of sources from where should
practise reading
1 Leading Newspapers Useful for What to
Read?
The Times of India Articles on Editorial
The Hindu ( India) diverse pages-
Indian Express topics and Opinions
The Print ( Digital News) Current
issues
2 Magazines-
Down to Earth – fortnightly Magazine Articles on
First Post diverse
India Today topics and
Current
issues
3 Books
Books on literature –Refer free e- Passages Short stories
books from Gutenberg.org on Literature
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/ literature based books
and articles
4 Digital and online media
The Print (digital news) Articles on Opinion
First Post Current Columns
The Wire topics on Latest news
New Delhi Times Social,
One India Economy

20
 etc
5 Reading Comprehension Passages
1. Bulls eye study material All Areas Actual
2. Bulls eye website passages
from easy to
difficult
levels
6 Reading Comprehension Passages All areas Actual
1. Actual test papers of previous passages
years

3.3 Approach to Reading Comprehension

21
1. It’s very important to first get in the habit of reading
every day. Read articles, blogs, and opinions online
as well as on paper.
2. Start with reading something that interests you. If
you like cricket, so start reading small articles on
that area.
3. After you have read, jot down the summary or may
be write down key words about the passage.
4. Keep practising this reading and writing the key
idea.
5. Then start moving to reading variety of material i.e.
Read some articles on Economy, Social Science etc.
6. Along with this, practise Reading Comprehension
passages from the material.
7. Do not worry about the accuracy in the beginning.
Aim is to get in the habit of reading.
8. Increase your reading articles and actual passages
from previous year papers.
9. Take a mock test under stipulated time.
10. Always check for answer and explanations after
you are done with the test.

22
3.4 How should I prepare?
If you are a beginner:
 Read something that interests you. It could be from
any source.
 You can read from newspaper articles, blogs,
internet, magazines etc.
 Read at least 3- 5 articles of your area of interest
and try to summarize them in your own words.
 Make a record of your summary in a notebook.
 Your immediate goal is to form a habit of reading,
which will come by disciplined practice.
 Then gradually move to diverse topics and focus on
comprehension.
If you an average Reader:
 Identify your current Reading style by making a note
of –
a) What do you read- What are the general reading
areas?
b) How much time do you spend on reading?
c) What is your purpose of reading? (Is it leisure,
academic knowledge, comprehend etc.?)

23
  Focus on moving to diverse topics and reading for
ideas.
 Focus on your comprehension skills.
If you are a Good Reader:
 Identify your current Reading status and make a
note of:
a) Areas that you are comfortable reading
b) Areas that you are not comfortable reading
c) Your comprehension skills
d) Your accuracy in Reading Comprehension skills
 Your goal should be to read challenging material
(area you are not very comfortable with)
 Solve 2-3 actual test level passages everyday
 Focus on accuracy under simulated exam condition
(on the computer and within specific time)
1. You don’t need to understand each and every word.
Read little but absorb what you read. The requirement of
everyone depends on their environment and level of
intelligence. As long as reading material is available and it
satisfies your mind, you should enjoy reading and grasp
the main subject. The rest will automatically fall into
place. The point is to get the central idea, the core
concept; the specifics can be given a miss.

24
2. Identify your purpose of reading
Many reasons can contribute to the quest for becoming a
better reader. Why are you reading? It could be for an
examination purpose, or to put an impression about the
extent of your knowledge, or perhaps find a foothold
amongst your peers. The main purpose for you should be
accumulation of knowledge through extensive reading;
there is a saying that knowledge gained can never be lost.
IDENTIFY ONE PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE that you like to
learn from every piece you would read.
3. What to choose for reading
Time is valuable commodity so one has to make an
informed choice with respect to what one reads. Chalk
out the important areas and pay full attention to them.
Extra, nonsensical material should be avoided. Junk
magazines and blogs can be rejected.
4. Read only the top-end material
Whatsoever you choose to read make sure it is the best.
Classify all that you have selected to read and then go in
only for the best -- Articles from editorial pages, online
news, blogs etc.
5. The environment should be conducive and pleasant
If the mind is at rest it will absorb more, and thus another
important factor which helps in encouraging you to read
is a pleasant and peaceful surrounding.

25
6. Finish what you start
Leaving an article or a book midway does not help you. If
some parts are difficult go back to them again, but finish
what you have started. This way you tend to exercise your
brain more and attain more knowledge.
7. Maintain your focus
Focus generates interest and vice versa; if you find
something interesting naturally you will retain more.
Getting engrossed in the reading material will help you
greatly increase your efficiency.
8. Last but not the least:
Only one thing can make you better at reading: reading
more!

26
4. SPEED READING TECHNIQUE

Is speed important?
Speed of reading differs from person to person. What’s
important is a right balance of speed with
comprehension. If you don't understand what you read
than you are just wasting your time. But because the
entrance tests. are under time constraints and there are
multiple questions to be attempted, you need to keep
focus on speed as well.
Also, it shouldn't be too slow. Because when you read
slowly it might happen that while reading some other
simultaneous thoughts are flashing in front of you.
Techniques to improve reading speed requirement:
1. Book to read
2. Watch/ Stop clock
3. Pen/ pencil
4. Your current speed of reading
5. Your Approach to the Course:
 attitude — having a positive outlook, trust, and a
willing suspension of disbelief.
 motivation — keeping your goals in mind and being
disciplined with practice even if you do not
experience immediate results.

27
Technique 1: Trackers and Pacers
Why use this Method:
To avoid regression i.e. to read the lines by going back
every time. The duration of fixations can be minimized by
using a tracker and pacer.
Holding the pen in your dominant hand, you will underline
each line (with the cap on), keeping your eyes fixated
above the tip of the pen.
This will not only serve as a tracker, but it will also serve
as a pacer for maintaining consistent speed and
decreasing fixation duration.
Requirements
You will need: a book of 200+ pages that can lay flat when
open, a pen, and a timer (a stop watch with alarm is ideal).
You should complete the 20 minutes of exercises in one
session.
Technique for using Tracker and Pacer
1) Step 1 (Practise for 2 minutes)
A. Practise using the pen as a tracker and pacer.
B. Underline each line, focusing above the tip of the
pen.
C. Do not concern yourself with comprehension.

28
 D. Keep each line to a maximum of one second, and
increase the speed with each subsequent page.
Read, but under no circumstances should you take
longer than one second per line.

Step 2: Build Speed (3 minutes):

A. Repeat the technique, keeping each line to no more
than one-half second (two lines for a single
second).
B. Some will comprehend nothing, which is to be
expected. Don’t worry.
C. Maintain speed and technique — you are
conditioning your perceptual reflexes, and this is a
speed exercise designed to facilitate adaptations in
your system.
D. Do not decrease speed. One-half second per line for
three minutes; focus above the pen and concentrate

29
 on technique with speed. Focus on the exercise,
and do not daydream.
Step 3: Practise for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Now check your speed.

30
5. TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE COMPREHENSION
Why comprehension is important?
Have you ever read a whole page of text and then
wondered that you have no clue what you just read? There
is no comprehension or understanding at all of what you
have read.
We read in speed and then keep going back to looking for
each and every answer. While we are reading unfamiliar
topic, we are distracted and get bored. All this happens
due to poor comprehension skills.
Why do we need to focus on comprehending the
passage? It’s simple, most of the questions asked in
Reading Comprehension are of the following type-
1. What is the main idea/ central idea of the passage?
2. What is the structure of the passage?
3. What is the tone of the author?
4. What do you infer from the passage?
5. Do you agree/ disagree with author’s claim?
6. What is the purpose of the passage?
All these questions pertain to the entire theme of the
passage rather than on one fact or one idea. We should
be able to look at the bigger picture and find out what the
author is talking about. Hence, comprehension is very

31
important to solve these questions and also to improve
your scores.
Comprehension also helps you in critical reasoning
questions.
Technique to improve comprehension
A. Note Making Technique
Here's how it works. You read a paragraph and then, take
a quick note of what you just read. Then you simply
repeat this process — read a paragraph, take a note. Read
another paragraph, take another note. These notes should
be quick. Just write a word or a phrase that describes the
content in that paragraph.
Effective process for taking notes while reading. It aids
your memory, and if you really need to remember what
you are reading you probably should be.
Learn to take notes faster and more efficiently:
 Keep your notes concise.
 Write ideas not sentences (This is a simple way to
speed up your note-taking, but it's surprising how
many people ignore this advice…and try to write
complete sentences…while they're taking notes. If
you do this, you may end up wasting time.)
 Keep your notes to keywords and phrases

32
  Write down only what's absolutely necessary. (Not
everything is equally important. Many times there
are two, three, or four major points being made.
Don't get bogged down with the detail. If you're
paying attention, you'll remember the details
because the bigger concepts will trigger that
information)
 Avoid excessive highlighting and too many notes.
(Have you ever bought a used college textbook, and
noticed ridiculous amounts of highlighting)
 "When you get caught up in details, you lose sight of
the big picture." This is one of the biggest issues
when it comes to note-taking. People get caught up
in details.
 A better way to handle this would be — to finish
reading the paragraph and then decide.
This two -step process will help
Step 1 Preview: Get familiar with the material. During this
step, you simply read the introduction and conclusion. If
you're reading a short article, this could simply be the first
and last paragraph. If you're reading something longer like
a book chapter or a detailed blog post, this could be a few
paragraphs at the beginning, and a few at the end.

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Step 2 Jot Key ideas: Take important key ideas. Write
down the first thing that comes to mind. What was most
memorable? What is the main point of what you're
reading? Keep your notes concise. Just a word or short
phrase should be enough.
5. 1 Practice Exercise
Step 1- Read this one page article. If you're working on
printed paper, you can write each note next to the
adjacent paragraph. If you're reading from the computer
screen, jot those notes on a separate sheet of paper.
Your notes should be concise.
Keep each note to just one word or short phrase to
describe what the paragraph was about.
Step 2 -Read each paragraph, take a note, and repeat until
you finish the article
Let’s practise Note-making technique
Directions:
1. For each paragraph write the key idea and the
supporting ideas.
2. Write the summary of the entire passage in few
words

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 Sample Passage
Occasional self-medication has always been part of
normal living. The making and selling of drugs has a long
history and is closely linked, like medical practice itself,
with belief in magic. Only during the last hundred years or
so has the development of scientific techniques made
it diagnosis possible. The doctor is now able to follow up
the correct diagnosis of many illnesses-with specific
treatment of their causes. In many other illnesses of
which the causes remain unknown, he is still limited, like
the unqualified prescriber, to the treatment of symptoms.
The doctor is trained to decide when to treat symptoms
only and when to attack the cause. This is the essential
difference between medical prescribing and self-
medication.
The advance of technology has brought about much
progress in some fields of medicine, including the
development of scientific drug therapy. In many
countries, public health organization is improving and
people’s nutritional standards have risen. Parallel with
such beneficial trends are two which have an adverse
effect. One is the use of high pressure advertising by the
pharmaceutical industry which has tended to influence
both patients and doctors and has led to the overuse of
drugs generally. The other is emergence of sedentary
society with its faulty ways of living: lack of exercise,
overeating, unsuitable eating, insufficient sleep, excessive

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smoking and drinking. People with disorders arising from
faulty habits such as these, as well as well from unhappy
human relationships, often resort to self-medication.
Advertisers go to great lengths to catch this market.
Clever advertising, aimed at chronic suffers who will try
anything because doctors have not been able to cure
them, can induce faith in a medicine, particularly if it is
steeply priced. Advertisements are also aimed at people
suffering from mild complaints such as simple cold and
coughs advertisements claim will clear up within a short
time due to the intake of a medicinal product.
These are the main reasons why laxatives, indigestion-
remedies, painkillers, cough-mixtures, tonics, vitamin and
iron tablets, nose drops, ointments and many other
preparations are found in quantity in many households. It
is doubtful whether taking these things even improves a
person’s health or it simply makes it worse. Worse,
because the preparation may contain unsuitable
ingredients; worse because the taker may become
dependent on them; worse because they might be taken
in excess; worse because they may cause poisoning , and
worst of all because symptoms of some serious
underlying cause may be masked and therefore medical
help may not be sought. Self-diagnosis is a greater
danger than self-medication.

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 Key idea Supporting ideas
Para Self-medication (a) part of normal living—last 100
1 yrs
(b) Advance in diag. tech.
(c) Drs rqd. for diag. &
treatment of disease
(d ) self-medication differs
from medical prescription
Para Technological (a) drug therapy
2 Advmnt. in (b) impvt. in pub. health org.
medicine (c) increase in nutri’l standards.

Para Clever advertising (a) take advantage of people’s

3 by Pharma need
companies (b) chronic suffers
(c) mild complaints like cold and
coughs
(d) Faulty life style
(i) Lack of exercise, over eating,
insuff’t sleep etc.
(ii) stress, unhappy relatnshps
etc.
Para dangers of self – a) Prep’n contain unsuitable ingre
4 medi’n. (b) Taker becomes dependent
(c) Taker consumes medi. in
excess
(d) Prep’ns may cause poison’g
(e) Real cause of illness gets
suppressed or untreated.

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Summary: Self-medication is dangerous as the
preparation may be toxic or contain unsuitable
ingredients; the user becomes dependent and consumes
medicine in excess. Self-diagnosis is worse than self-
medication. Self-medication is part of normal living.
Medicinal experts are required for diagnosis and
treatment of disease according to symptoms and cause.
The development of drug therapy and improvement in
public health organizations & nutritional standards have
helped progress in medicinal science. Excessive
advertising by pharmaceutical companies and emergence
of the sedentary society are two counter trends.

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